Bear Hunting Tips

[MrSmitty]

The only guns I have that I could hunt bear with are a 30-30 (marginal for bear) and a 12 with slugs, although it has an 18" bbl, could find a slug barrel I'm sure.....Not planning on bear hunting any time soon.......

 

[Michigan Slim]

Your .30-30 in NOT marginal for bear.

 

[roscott]

Your .30-30 in NOT marginal for bear.

That depends on the bear…

 

[roscott]

Step 1: Find a bear.

As a younger man, I would take yearly backpacking trips in the Appalachians. With your step 1 in mind, we developed a plan to maximize our opportunity to see/interact/risk our lives with black bears.

Before planning our route, we would stop at one of the larger ranger stations and ask which backcountry sites were “bear hazards” meaning they had reoccurring issues with bears recently. Assuming we were trying to avoid danger, they would point out all the sites with plenty of activity.

We would then, of course, plan our route to hit as many of those sites as possible. We got to see lots of bears, which was honestly pretty amazing. Never needed shoot any, despite even startling a momma with cubs one summer, but I did smack a big aggressive boar with a rock one time.

Later after working in Alaska I discovered that brown bears ought not even be titled the same as black bears. Brown bears are a different beast altogether. I always enjoyed what one Alaskan said when asked how to tell the difference between the two:

“Easy. When they stand up, if you’re looking the bear in the eyes, it’s a black bear and you should fight back. If it stands up and you’re looking at it’s nuts, you better pretend you’re dead!”

 

[two70]

Not anytime soon.
I'm like you I've always wanted to go brown bear hunting up on Kodiak Island if it's even possible to get a permit for one.
I'd settle for a big black bear though.

Brown bear hunts on Kodiak Island are by lottery draw but it looks like they have a good number of permits available for nonresidents. A guide is required for non-residents to hunt brown bear though and hunts are not exactly cheap in any area but can go over $30,000 in the best areas.

 

[grillak]

I get what he's thinking and i also get what you are thinking.

I have for years wanted a peep rear sight or ghost ring rear sight for my pistols. I just think they would work great and help get on target faster.
Question: is there anyone making such a rear sight for pistols? Ghost Ring I believe Col Cooper loved and I shot a 590a1 with one it was super easy to get on target and fast.
Would that concept work for pistols?

i have a peeper on my hipoint .40. it is a lot faster for target aquisition. took me a while to get used to though

 

[grillak]